TRADITIONAL CEREMONY TULUDE, TRADITION COMMUNITY OF NUSA UTARA IN NORTH SULAWESI
Tulude ceremony is traditional ceremony held every January 31 (or before and after that date) to be grateful for the blessings of God for a year that has passed and through the new year.
Tulude ''Ritual'' is an annual celebration of the ancestral heritage of the people of Nusa Utara or North Island (Sangihe, Talaud and Sitaro archipelago) at the northern tip of North Sulawesi province. It has been centuries of sacred and religious ceremony was conducted by the Sangihe and Talaud ethnic communities that can not be eliminated or forgotten by any generation. This tradition has been entrenched in the repertoire of customs, traditions and culture of Nusa Utara (North Island). In fact, these cultural traditions are slowly and surely starting accepted not only as belonging to the Nusa Utara community, in this case Sangihe, Talaud and Sitaro, but it has been accepted as a cultural tradition of people of North Sulawesi and Indonesia in general. Because, where there are ethnic communities Sangihe-Talaud, definitely there will be a celebration Tulude.
Tulude in essence is a ceremony of thanksgiving to Mawu Ruata Ghenggona Langi (Almighty God) for His blessings to mankind for over a year ago. However, to find the practicality of implementation, many community groups organizing this event not entirely as a form of ceremony, but implemented in the form of thanksgiving devotions, ranging from the neighborhood level, neighborhood, village, churches, organizations harmonious and other community groups. However, any form of implementation, the nature of Tulude itself remains the basis for implementation each year.
In the early days a few centuries ago, the implementation Tulude traditional ceremonies performed by their ancestors on every December 31, where this date is the end of the year will end, so it is fit to perform the ceremony Tulude. Understanding Tulude itself is a "reject" or "push" in this case refuse years old and ready to receive the new year. In the tradition of the ancestral pagan society and the Sangihe Talaud, starting this year's event is realized with a ceremony on the beach with refuse, pushing or releasing a small boat made of wood "latolang" (a type of wood that grows higher straight not branched) with a particular load. The boat is driven by traditional leaders, removed or washed away to sea as a symbol, everything bad in the years that will pass thrown or washed away to sea for no longer overwrite the local villagers in the new year. If the boat was taken out of sea currents and washed up on shore or a nearby village, the people who find it mandatory to back it away, refused and returned to the sea, because it is believed, if not washed away again, then all the havoc and pain-a disease that ever happened to the people from the boat, will move to a place where the boat was stranded.
When Christianity and Islam entered the region Sangihe and Talaud in the 19th century, traditional ceremonies Tulude has been filled with charges tradition of evangelism and disbelief are slowly eroded. In fact, the day of execution which is usually on December 31, by the customs agreement, be transferred to January 31 next year. This is done, because December 31 is the busiest time for Christians in the Sangihe and Talaud. Therefore, the previous week had been busy with the Christmas Eve worship events, and December 31, preoccupied with the end of worship and preparation for the new year. Due to the density and busyness this worship event and to maintain the solemn worship Ecclesiastical not interfere with traditional ceremonies Tulude, then diverted the implementation date be January 31. Even in 1995, by the provincial and district Governments-Talaud Sangihe archipelago, January 31, has been established by law as the anniversary Sangihe Talaud Tulude with the core event ceremony.
In a traditional ceremony tulude, there are a variety of custom content is made. First, do custom cake maker in the house of a Tamo traditional leaders last night before the day of the ceremony. Then, the preparations for troop escort, dancer Gunde dance, dance Salo, kakalumpang dance, dance of empat wayer, masamper singing groups, traditional leaders setting custom cookie cutters Tamo, the preparation of traditional leaders carrier Tatahulending Banua greeting, traditional leaders greeting prayer carrier safety, a prominent leader of the ceremony called Mayore Labo, and preparation of the presence of Tembonang u Banua (leader of the country according to level of government implementation of the ceremony as village heads, subdistrict heads, regents / mayors or governors) together Wawu Boki (wife of the leader of the country) and the distribution of invitations to all members of society to comes with a carrying food for the event Saliwangu Banua (party of the people eat together).
The timing of the ceremony is customary Tulude afternoon until late at night for approximately 4 hours. 4 hours is calculated starting from the event pick up a cake at home making custom Tamo then paraded around the village or around the city for the next ceremony is brought into the arena. Before the cake of Tamo below into the ceremonial arena, Tembonang u Banua (Village Chief, District Head, the Mayor / Regent or Governor shall already be in the main hall to pick up the arrival of this traditional cake. - (Semuel Muhaling)
